A locomotive “consist” is a group of two or more locomotives that are mechanically coupled or linked together to travel along a route. Trains may have one or more locomotive consists. Locomotives in a consist include a lead locomotive and one or more trail locomotives. A train will have at least one lead consist, and may also have one or more remote consists positioned further back in the train.
In a locomotive consist, each locomotive includes a connection at each end of the locomotive to couple the power and brake systems of the locomotive to adjacent locomotives such that they function together as a single unit. Each locomotive is connected to subsequent locomotives via a port and jumper cable that includes twenty seven pins on each end. This cable is commonly referred to in the industry as a multiple unit cable or “MU” cable. Two or more of the locomotives in a consist may each include an on-board controller or other electronics. In certain cases, it may be desirable to link the on-board electronics together as a computer network, such that electronics of the lead locomotive in the consist can communicate with electronics of the trail locomotives. This intra-consist network may allow for inherent redundancies in locomotive electronics to be used to improve reliability of locomotives by allowing lead locomotives to utilize electronic equipment contained in trail locomotives of the same consist. It may be easier and more cost effective to use remote electronics in a trail locomotive than providing redundant equipment on each locomotive.
Heretofore, communications in a locomotive consist have been realized using two methods. The first involves wireless communications between the vehicles in the consist using radio equipment. Wireless communications, however, are costly to implement, and are particularly prone to cross talk between connected locomotives and locomotives not physically connected on adjacent tracks. The second method involves miming dedicated network cables between the linked locomotives in a consist. However, in most cases this requires retrofitting existing vehicles with additional cables, which is oftentimes cost prohibitive. Additionally, since the cabling is exposed in the separation space between adjacent linked locomotives, the cabling may be prone to failure if the vehicle consist is operated in harsh environmental conditions, e.g., bad weather. Finally, there is additional labor required to connect locomotives with dedicated network cables, and this will require additional training.